Lucy
by Eclectic Butterfly
Summary: When one of their own has no other help, the Barkley family come to Liam's aid and solve a series of crimes that have afflicted a small town. 3rd in series, follows Liam and Brothers
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: So I'm back once again with a story about Liam and Lucy. I'm really not sure where this one came from. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

Giggling, the five year old girl raced out of the kitchen. "Lucy Sawyer!" a heavyset woman called, hurrying after her. Lucy ducked down to the ground to hide, holding her hand over her mouth to keep her giggles silent. The porch creaked as the woman came out. "Come back here! Miss Jenny wants to talk to—Oh, where did that girl go? Lucy!"

After a moment of scanning the yard, the woman went back inside and Lucy peeked back up. Grinning in triumph, she scrambled up and ran for the barn. Most of the stalls were empty but a few horses blinked at her as she hurried past. Reaching the ladder, Lucy climbed up to the hayloft. It was there that she began to move slowly and carefully.

The hay rustled as she moved over it. Lucy reached a small corner where a grey striped cat was curled. It lifted it's head to stare at her. "Hello Momma kitty," Lucy whispered, remembering how her father had told her to speak softly. She set her ragdoll on the hay beside her to watch with her. "I just want to see your babies."

The mother cat lowered her head and licked the backs of one of the squeaking newborn kittens. Keeping her hands to herself, Lucy leaned in closer to watch. She stayed like that for quite some time content to be where she was.

Finally, the five year old became bored with the kittens who had settled down to sleep. Lucy crawled across the hay, slipping several times as she went, and went to the ladder. It was harder getting back on the rungs but she followed every step her father had told her. She was almost to the bottom when hands grabbed her under the arms.

"Let me go!" Lucy immediately protested as she was lifted up. She kicked her feet wildly, angered at having been caught.

"Calm down, Miss Lucy," a laughing voice told her. She was set on the ground and she took the opportunity to whirl around to confront the man. He pushed the brim of his cowboy hat back and knelt down to be eye level with her, his brown eyes revealing his amusement. "Now, I don't think you're supposed to be up in the hayloft

on your own, are you?"

Lifting her chin defiantly, Lucy scowled. "I'm old enough, Mister Barry," she insisted. "Besides, how else am I supposed to watch the kittens? I was good and didn't try to play with them."

John Barrington, son of the owner of the Double Square ranch, laughed again. "I know your daddy isn't going to be happy to hear that you've been disobeying him and me," he pointed out. He stood up. "Momma cats don't like people knowing where they've got their babies, Miss Lucy. She'll probably move them and you won't ever find them."

Lucy's eyes widened. "No!"

"It's true," the young man told her. "You just ask your daddy when he get's back."

Lucy frowned as she considered that. "But if I do that, he'll know I've been in the hayloft," she said thoughtfully.

"Regardless of whether you tell him or not, he'll know, Miss Lucy," Barrington advised her. He plucked a strand of hay from her blonde hair and tickled her cheek with it. "Now, I think it's time that you ran along back to Mrs. Parker's kitchen. She's the one who is supposed to be looking after you, isn't she?"

The girl scuffed her feet on the ground. "I guess," she admitted reluctantly. "But Miss Jenny came and I don't like her."

Understanding dawned on the man's face. "Well, she's probably gone by now," he said. "Off you go then."

With a huff, Lucy ran for the barn door. As soon as she stepped out, she paused, looking over her shoulder. Barrington had vanished further into the barn. With a mischievous grin lighting her face, the girl dodged to the right and headed for the garden. She twirled as she went, swinging her doll.

She collided with a pair of legs and fell back. Gasping, she hit the ground with a hard thud, her doll flying out of her hand. She looked up and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Hello, Lucy. You're just the girl I was looking for."

* * *

Carrying his tack to the back of the barn, Liam Sawyer nodded at the men he passed. It had been another long day rounding up cattle from the far edges of the ranch and he was as tired as any of the other men. Liam was looking forward to his meal, having his daughter's arms around his neck, and then his bed.

Leaving the barn, the fair haired young man walked towards the main house where the windows were lit up. The sound of the Barrington family talking and laughing together could be heard. For a moment, he felt a stab of longing to be part of such a family: close and trusting. He shook his head as he entered the kitchen.

"What are you shaking your head at, Mr. Sawyer?" Mrs. Parker asked as she bustled around her domain.

Unwilling to admit he was thinking of his family and how much he was starting to dislike being called 'Mr. Sawyer' Liam forced a smile. The respect he had always wanted didn't mean as much now that he knew it wasn't his real name. "Not a thing, Mrs. Parker," he answered cheerfully. "How was Lucy today?"

The woman paused in her work and turned to face him. "You mean you haven't seen her yet?" she asked in surprise. "I thought she would be waiting at the door to tell you all about how she got away from me to go visit those kittens in the barn."

"She's not with you?" Liam asked feeling the stat of unease.

Mrs. Parker frowned. "No, sir," she answered. "She always comes back unless she finds you first."

Spinning on his heel, Liam bolted from the kitchen. "Lucy!" he shouted as he ran. He ignored the questions and calls that followed in his wake. He shoved open the door of his small cabin. "Leah Lucille Sawyer! Answer me right now!"

There was only silence in the dim cabin. With panic rising with every second, Liam rushed to the tiny bedroom he shared with his daughter and found it empty. Turning, he ran out of the cabin, almost colliding with Barrington.

"Sawyer, what's wrong?" the other man asked. "We could hear you shouting inside."

"I have to find Lucy," Liam told him. "She's not with Mrs. Parker like she's supposed to be and she's not here."

Barrington let out a low curse, sending a look at the swiftly setting sun. "I'll gather the men and as many lanterns as we have on hand," he responded, reaching to clasp Liam's shoulder. "Don't worry, Sawyer, she can't have gotten very far. We'll find her."

Shaking the other man's hand off, Liam started for the garden, a place where he knew Lucy loved to play. He was halfway there when he stepped on something that wasn't a rock. Pausing, he looked down and slowly knelt down. He picked up his daughter's ragdoll, the one Victoria Barkley had given her and Lucy had barely let go of since then.

"Oh, god. Lucy."


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm telling you Heath, we could use another man on the roundup," Nick Barkley insisted as he walked into the dining room followed by his fair haired half brother. He moved to the head of the table to kiss Victoria's cheek. "We should send a telegram to Liam and get him down here. This is where he should be anyway."

Laughing, Audra placed her napkin in her lap. "What happened to letting Liam have his space until _he_ decided to come back?" she asked. "That is what you told him when he was here to meet Gene, isn't it?"

Nick scowled at her. "Heath agrees with me, don't you, Heath?" he responded. "We need another hand. I don't see why it shouldn't be Liam"

"We will not be sending any notes to Liam," Victoria said firmly, hiding a smile by looking down at her plate. "He has his own job and life up north. If you and Heath need more help, you're going to have to hire it." Nick opened his mouth to protest but she continued, "I will not change my mind about this, Nicholas."

Closing his mouth, Nick reached for the bowl of scrambled eggs that Silas had set on the table. "We don't need the help that badly," he reluctantly admitted. He sent a glance at the empty seat. "Where's Jarrod?"

"He'll be along."

Heath cleared his throat. "The Williams are looking to thin down some of their pigs," he announced, changing the subject. "Mr. Williams was wondering if we would like one for our smokehouse."

"How kind of them," Victoria replied with a smile. "Yes, I think we could use a pig for our larder. Let them know when you see them again. No, I'll ride over to see them myself and thank them for the offer." Her attention went to her oldest son who had walked in. "There you are, Jarrod. We were wondering where you-."

Her voice faded away as she took in her son's rather perplexed expression. "What's wrong, Jarrod?" Audra asked at the same time, concern filling her voice.

Without saying a word, Jarrod walked to Heath and handed him a telegram. "This just arrived for you," he said as his half brother opened the envelope. He took his seat by Heath as the fair haired man scanned the brief message. The others at the table watched warily as as Heath brought his hand up to his head and closed his eyes.

"Heath, what's wrong?" Audra demanded, her tone fearful. "Who is it from?"

"It's from Liam," Heath answered, finally looking up. "Lucy is missing."

Exclamations of "Lucy?" "What?" and "No!"rang out simultaneously. Heath allowed Jarrod to take the telegram as he said, "She went missing yesterday, sometime in the afternoon. Liam is asking for my help."

"Are you telling me that there is no one helping him search up there?" Nick demanded, his temper flaring at the slight he imagined directed towards his brother.

"He doesn't say what's happening up there," the lawyer answered, scanning the brief message. "All he says is that Lucy went missing and he needs any help Heath can give, if it's convenient for him to come."

"'If it's convenient?'" Nick echoed. He growled something indecipherable under his breath. "When I see him-. Is he only asking for Heath?"

Taking a deep breath, Victoria took charge. "Whether or not he asked only for Heath is not the important question, Nick. As Liam is not one who would ask for help unless he was desperate, I suggest we get our affairs in order to go to him as soon as possible," she said. "Jarrod, how soon can we catch a train to the town closest to the Double Square?"

"I will have the arrangements made by noon," Jarrod answered immediately. "Pardon me, Mother, but I have no appetite. I'm going to pack my bag and ride into town. I will send a response to Liam that will will be there as soon as possible. I will meet you at the train station."

Audra pushed her plate away as her oldest brother hurried out. "I will go pack as well," she said, getting to her feet. "Who knows what I will need!"

She rushed out of the room. "McCall will need to know he will be in charge for a short time," Nick said as he too rose from his seat. "I'm sure he and the men will be able to handle the round up if it takes longer than we expect to find Lucy."

Heath almost smiled at that. "I guess we really didn't need that extra man," he commented. Nick sent a scowl at him and stormed out. Heath made an effort to eat some of the food on his plate, after all, who wanted to waste good food? But in the end, he too stopped eating and pushed the plate away.

"We'll be there by tonight, Heath," Victoria told him gently.

Not surprised that his adopted mother knew his state of mind, Heath glanced over. "If there's one thing I know about Liam is that he would tear the Double Square apart to get to Lucy," he answered. "So that begs the question of what's happened that he believes he needs _my_ help. I wouldn't know the area."

Victoria nodded. "I wondered the same thing," she admitted. "You don't think McCauwin would have taken Lucy?"

"I don't think he would be so stupid," Heath responded. "Jarrod warned him off before."

"That's true," Victoria acknowledged. "I suppose we'll just have to wait until we are there to even begin guessing at what's happened."

With a nod, Heath stood up. He hesitated for a moment before he said, "I have a very bad feeling about this."

Surprised, Victoria watched him leave. "I do too, Heath," she whispered. She picked up her coffee and sipped it without really tasting it.

* * *

Slowly, the little girl's blue eyes opened and she blinked at a blank wall. With a frown, Lucy pushed herself up from where she'd been laying on her side and rubbed at her eyes. Her shoes were still on her feet and she was dressed in the same outfit she had been wearing before, a fact which was confusing to her. She slid off the unfamiliar feather mattress and tried to keep her balance as the room seemed to spin around her.

She wasn't sure why she was so unsteady and it did nothing to quell the growing terror that was filling her. Dolls and toys stood in the corners of the room as if they were waiting to be played with. Nothing in the room was familiar. Shaking her head, Lucy tottered to the door and tried to turn the knob with one hand.

It didn't budge.

Gasping, Lucy wrapped both hands around the knob and twisted as hard as she could. When, again, nothing happened, she hit the door with her right hand. "Let me out!" she cried. "I want my daddy. I want to go home. Let me out of here."

No one answered her.


	3. Chapter 3

Shortly before noon, the Barkley family boarded their train. None of them even tried to keep up a pretense of normalcy. The journey from Stockton to Barrington seemed to drag on, though it was mid-afternoon when they arrived at the small town. They were the only ones to leave the train and no one was waiting to get on. Within minutes, the train continued on its way, leaving the family alone on the train platform.

"The Double Square is about ten miles outside of town," Jarrod reported when he returned from talking to the elderly station master. "He mentioned that while he heard something about a missing child earlier today, he didn't pay much attention to the details of the story."

"How could he be so heartless?" Audra exclaimed in outrage.

Victoria shook her head. "Mind your tone, Audra. I'm sure there is a perfectly good explanation for all of this."

"There's a hotel down the street," Jarrod said, picking up his bag and his mother's bag. "We should get a room and then see about getting to the Double Square. Hopefully, someone will be able to send us in Liam's direction."

The main street of Barrington was eerily silent as they walked on the boardwalk with no one out walking. In fact, the whole town seemed more like a ghost town. "Where is everyone?" Audra wondered aloud.

"I would hope they're all out searching for Lucy," Heath said with very little confidence. "Jarrod, why don't you see about the rooms and I'll find a stable to get a wagon and some decent mounts to get out to the ranch."

"I think we should get some more information here in town before we rush off," Jarrod responded. "We don't know what's happened."

"Who are we supposed to get information from?" Nick asked, gesturing to the empty town. "Fine. You stay and question whoever you can find. Heath and I will ride ahead. I know the Barringtons. They'll talk to me and explain this whole thing."

Ahead of them, a young woman with bright red hair stepped out of the general store. She glances at them and then did a double take. "Liam, I'm so glad to see you out of jail!" she exclaimed, rushing forward. Startled, Heath grabbed her shoulders and held her off before she could throw her arms around him. She tilted her head in a puzzled way as she stepped back, sending suspicious looks at the others. "Who are your friends? Did you find Lucy?"

"I'm not Liam Sawyer," Heath said, honestly. "He's my brother, though. Did you just say he's in jail?"

Gasping, the woman took a closer look at him and her eyes widened. "Oh, you're not Liam, are you," she said an embarrassed flush coloring her cheeks. She backed away from Heath. "I can see it now. I'm sorry I didn't realize it sooner. I'm Jenny Davis."

"You didn't answer his question," Nick pointed out, casting a brief, approving look over the woman. "Why is Liam in jail?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. My father only told me that Liam was jailed early this morning. I wanted to go visit him but mother made me promise I would stay away until everything was settled. With Lucy being missing, I mean."

The expression on Audra's face showed exactly what _she_ thought of that. "Well, Jarrod, I believe you and Heath should go to the sheriff's office and get Liam out of jail," Victoria said, taking charge once again. "Nick will escort Audra and I to the hotel where we will wait for you to come." She leveled a firm glare at Nick, who looked like he was going to protest. "Nicholas, you are not a lawyer or the person Liam asked to come."

Nick scowled at being reminded of that fact. "The sheriff's office is at the end of the street," Jenny said, pointing the way. "I don't know if he's still there or not. He might be helping search for Little Lucy."

"Thank you for your help, Miss Davis," Jarrod said.

Jenny nodded once, sent one last confused look at Heath, and then hurried across the street. "She seemed nervous," Audra commented with a frown. "Almost frightened. What would she be afraid of, Jarrod?"

"I don't know," Jarrod said. "But if that something is connected to Liam and Lucy, I intend on finding out."

The family split up then, three headed for the small hotel and the other two to the jail. Heath found the door unlocked and pushed it open with ease. Inside, the only furniture was a desk and a gun rack on one wall. Iron bars lined the middle of the room and a familiar figure was sitting on the edge of a bunk, his head in his heads.

"Liam," was all Heath said, but it was enough to get his brother's attention.

Liam lifted his head and he shot to his feet. "Heath, you came," he exclaimed with no little relief. His eyes shifted to the dark haired lawyer behind his twin and he didn't bother to hide his surprise. "I was beginning to wonder if my telegram had reached you was sent or if prisoners just aren't allowed to get messages."

That sentence made Jarrod frown. "I sent a response," he said. "I think I will have to speak to the sheriff about this. Where is he?"

Moving to the bars, Liam shook his head. "I haven't seen the sheriff since I woke uo in this cell," he explained, curling his fingers around the metal bars that separated him from his brothers. "I'm not even sure what I did that landed me here."

"So, I take it Lucy is still missing?" Heath asked carefully.

Worry had caused lines to form on Liam's face and he looked years older than his twenty two years. "No one has come to tell me any differently." He ran his hand over his face and shook his head. "No one even noticed she was missing until I came back last night. I just—Heath, I can't lose her too. I've got to get out of this cell and find her before anything happens to her."

Narrowing his eyes, Jarrod stepped closer. He reached through the bars quickly, and before Liam could react, caught hold of the younger man's chin. "How did this happen?" he asked, forcing Liam to turn his head and revealing the dried blood on the side of the fair haired man's head.

Pulling free, Liam said, "I don't know. One minute I was trying to get help and the next I'm waking up here." His blue eyed gaze shifted past his brothers.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my jail?"

At the older, angry voice, Heath and Jarrod turned. A badge gleamed on the jacket of the gray haired man as he stepped forward. His hand was resting on his gun, which was strapped to his right leg. "I assume you're the sheriff of this town," Jarrod said, using the professional tone he saved for clients and the courtroom.

"I am," the man said, with a brief nod. "The name's John Benson. Now, it's your turn to introduce yourself gentlemen and explain what you're doing here."

"Well, my name is Jarrod Barkley, and this is my brother Heath," the lawyer answered. He gestured to Liam. "This is also my brother, and as of this moment, my client. Now that introductions are done, Sheriff, I would like to know under what grounds you've arrested Liam and why he was not allowed messages from his lawyer?"

The barrage of information made Benson blink and his hand dropped from his gun. Even under the circumstances, Heath and Liam both gave brief smirks. "His lawyer?" the sheriff repeated as he moved to the desk. "He didn't say nothing about a lawyer, brother or not."

"Well, that's understandable given how sudden everything happened, and hardly surprising since you've been away from the jailhouse since you locked him up. However, I ask again, what are the charges against my client?"

Benson picked up a ring of keys and held it out. "No charges. I was just putting him where he couldn't cause any more harm, though I imagine Ol' Greg down at the saloon will be wanting some kind of compensation for the busted table and windows."

"Are you telling me that you knocked me over the head with a beer bottle, dragged me in here, and locked the door because you thought I was a danger?" Liam asked, curling his hands around the bars. His tone took on a dangerous edge. "You kept me from searching for my daughter because I broke a table and window? I didn't even throw the first punch!"

Swiftly, Jarrod took the keys from the sheriff and handed them to Heath. While the door to the cell was being unlocked, the lawyer focused on Benson. "What news is there of Lucy?" he asked. "Has there been a ransom note? Any sign of where she went?"

The sheriff shrugged his shoulders. "Most of the men in town have been out since dawn, searching for her," he said in a straightforward way. "We started at Double Square and worked our way out. There isn't a sign of that girl out there. It's like she just vanished."

Flexing his fingers, Liam stepped out of the cell. "And I could have been out there looking for her."

"Son, you were on a rampage, trying to find every able bodied man in town," Benson pointed out in as calm a manner as was possible. He set Liam's gun and holster on the desk, which Jarrod picked up and held onto. "You frightened at least three of the good ladies of Barrington just by storming down the street. It was best for everyone if you cooled your heels and your head for awhile."

Without a word, his glare saying what he thought of the matter, Heath passed the keys back to the sheriff. "Well, a concerned father has every right to make his distress known," Jarrod said smoothly. His eyes narrowed. "Unless there's another reason that you haven't mentioned for why you thought locking my brother up was the best course of action."

The sheriff heaved a sigh. "Look, the longer a child is lost like that, the odds keep going down that she's going to survive, especially around these parts," he said bluntly. Liam took a step forward, only to have Heath grab his arm to hold him back. "An already raging man is more likely to make matters worse if the results of the search aren't what he hoped for."

"You seem to know a great deal about children who get lost, Sheriff," Jarrod remarked. He kept his eyes on the older man until Benson shifted uneasily. "Well, no matter, if you should learn anything, you will find us at the hotel. Though, no doubt Liam will want to join the search party as soon as possible. Good day, Sheriff."

Benson's relieved and uncertain, "Good day, gentlemen" followed the three men out of the building. On the boardwalk, Liam stopped and faced his brothers.

"Thank you both for coming," he said. He took his hat off to run his hand through his hair. "I just want to say that Lucy isn't 'lost' like the sheriff tried to imply. She may be curious but she knows better than to wander away. The only explanation left is that she was taken and—"

Heath held up his hand, cutting his twin off. "You don't have to convince us, Liam," he said. "We're here to help you get Lucy back."

Liam heaved a sigh. "When you say 'we', I'm assuming you don't mean just you and Jarrod."

"You didn't really think you could send a message to Heath and not have the rest of the family come too, did you?" Jarrod asked with a light laugh. He watched his half brother shrug his shoulders and look away. "They went to get rooms at the hotel. We should meet them and then work from there."

Without waiting for his brother to agree, the lawyer started across the street. Exchanging looks, Heath and Liam followed Jarrod.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: I have had a stressful week. My poor kitty was hit by a car so I've been watching over him, hoping he'll recover.**_

* * *

Sitting in the corner of the room, Lucy looked up as the door opened. Her hope vanished almost immediately. "You're not my daddy," she accused as the man stepped into the room. "I want my daddy!"

"Hush, Amy," the man admonished, his tone gentle. His blue eyes, though, had a cold expression that sent shivers down Lucy's spine. "You've been a very naughty girl, you know, and made your mama worry about you."

"My name isn't Amy. It's Lucy!" Lucy's tone fiercely defiant. "And my mama is dead."

In the doorway, a dark haired woman burst into tears and turned away from the room. That brought a scowl to the man's bearded face. "You insensitive girl! How can you hurt your mother like that?" he shouted, raising his hand.

Lucy flinched away. "I don't know who you are!"

"Oh, baby," the man said with gentleness suddenly back in his voice. He knelt down and pulled her, kicking and struggling, into his arms. "Everything is going to be fine. I bet you're hungry, aren't you, and that's why you're being so fussy. Just you wait and I'll bring you some food."

As soon as his grip relaxed, Lucy recoiled back into the corner. "I want my daddy," she proclaimed. The man's expression became stormy. "He needs me."

Without another word, the man straightened and walked out. Lucy realized he was about to shut the door and scrambled to her feet. By the time she ran to the door, though, it was shut and locked. Frustrated, the girl smacked it with her hand. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"I want my daddy!"

* * *

As soon as he stepped into the hotel room, Liam found himself with his half-sister's arms wrapped around his neck. "Oh, Liam, why did they lock you up?" she asked as she clung to him. "Have they found poor Lucy?"

Alarmed, Liam looked over her head, awkwardly patting her shoulder, and sent a panicked look at everyone else in the room. "For crying out loud, Audra, give him some room," Nick said, striding over to detach his sister from their half brother. "The boy has enough on his mind without you adding to it."

Calmly, Victoria came forward and grabbed Liam's arms. "Why, Liam! You're hurt!" she exclaimed. "Audea, bring a basin of water and a towel. Is there a doctor in this town?"

"It's not as bad as it looks," Liam objected. "I have to find Lucy."

Victoria pulled him further into the room. "We will find your daughter, and taking a few moments to clean that wound will not hinder that," she said with confidence. "Why don't you sit down a moment and tell us everything so we can best know how to help."

Reluctantly, Liam sat on the edge of the closest chair. As Victoria dabbed at the wound, cleaning the blood away, he related how he had returned from a day's work on the range to discover his daughter gone. As he explained the general opinion —that his daughter had wandered off and would inevitably return on her own—, Liam's hands curled into tight fists. Once he finished speaking, there was a long silence.

"The sheriff said there was a search party out looking now," Jarrod said carefully. "What convinced them to change their mind?"

His half brother shook his head. "I wish I knew. No one in this town has told me anything. I couldn't get a single person to help me when I asked for it earlier. It was like they all had gone deaf."

"We're here now and we'll find her, Liam," Nick said, immediately. "We will tear this town and every place around it apart if we have to.

"Nicholas!" Victoria exclaimed, sending a glare in her son's direction. "That is hardly the mentality to have going into this."

The reproof succeeded in making Nick back down. Audra's attention, though, was already elsewhere. She had her head tilted as she looked at her oldest brother. "What are you thinking, Jarrod?" she asked.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Audra," Jarrod said, with half a smile.

"You have your 'something isn't right' lawyer face on."

Audra's earnest statement drew a laugh from the lawyer. "I wasn't aware I had such an expression or that I was so easy to read," he said. He became serious a moment later. "I find it interesting that Sheriff Benson would think so negatively about finding Lucy so soon after she was gone."

"You think he should be happy about it?" Nick demanded.

"Of course not. I was merely commenting that he appears to know a great deal about missing children and the length of time a person has to find them," Jarrod clarified. "I was not aware there was such a science to the situation. And he did say the odds are bad in this area, which suggests he's been through this before."

"You mean more children have been taken before this?" Victoria asked.

Jarrod spread his hands. "I'm afraid I don't have the answer to that question. Not yet, anyway."

Liam shook his head as he pushed himself up. "I've got to get out to the ranch," he said. "Enough of my time has been wasted. Maybe Lucy has been taken there and no one has had time to send me word."

It was a desperate, naive statement, and they all, including Liam, knew it. "We'll go with you," Victoria said, standing up. "Nick, Heath, and Jarrod can help with the search, while Audra and I can assist at the ranch however we can."

"You all go ahead," Jarrod said. "I think I will be of more use here in town, learning what I can. Someone must be able to enlighten me on what the sheriff meant."

He didn't get an acknowledgement from Liam, who was already moving to the door. Heath, though, paused beside the dark haired lawyer. "You really think there's something else at play here?" he asked.

"I've learned to trust my instincts on matters," Jarrod told him, lowering his voice. "Something about this whole town doesn't feel right."

"Are you going to need any help?"

"No. Help Liam. I'll know where to find you if I need you."

* * *

Riding ahead of his family, Liam led the way up to the Double Square ranch house. Victoria drove the wagon with Audra beside her. Heath and Nick were on horseback. There was little activity around the house and barns, far too similar to how the town had looked.

"Mrs. Parker!" Liam called out as he dismounted.

The front door opened, and the heavyset woman rushed out. "Liam," she said with relief. "Where have you been?"

"Has Lucy been found yet?"

Mrs. Parker shook her head. "Mr. Barrington has all the men out looking and they've been gone since you left this morning. No one has been back."

"Do you know where they planned on searching?"

"I can show you on the map."

Liam took a step forward and then checked himself as he noticed the woman staring past him. "Mrs. Parker, these are my brothers, Heath and Nick Barkley," he introduced, making a half turn towards the family. "My sister Audra and their mother, Victoria Barkley. Nick and Heath will be helping me search. Please see that Audra and Victoria are comfortable."

"Your family?" Mrs. Parker repeated incredulously. "We always took you for an orphan, Liam." Her gaze landed on Heath, who moved to stand next to his twin, and her hand flew to her mouth. "My goodness!"

Clearing his throat, Liam pulled his hat off and ran his hand through his hair. A moment of sadness hit Victoria as she remembered her husband doing something similar when he was embarrassed or frustrated. She couldn't help but wonder what Tom Barkley would have thought of these two sons of his that he'd never met.

"It's complicated, Mrs. Parker," Liam said. "Heath here is my twin brother. Did Barry leave a map? Or say where he was going?"

The woman nodded. "I can show you on the map. Come on in." Turning, she led the way into the house, to where a large dining room table was. A map was spread out there. "Since there was no sign of Lucy anywhere near the house, Mr. Barrington took the men further out, towards the east pasture, I think."

Nick leaned over the map. "Long way for them to expect a five year old to go," he commented, his eyes surveying the distance from where they were and the location the woman pointed to. He glanced over to Liam, who looked rather pale. "Problem?"

"Some of the men have been tracking bobcats in that area," the fair haired man said quietly. He shook his head. "If we ride this way, through the canyon, we should meet up with them at the pasture."

"Well, then, what are we waiting for?" Nick asked. "We're losing daylight."

"Be careful," Victoria said as the men headed back for the door. She turned to Mrs. Parker. "Are any of the Barrington ladies at home?"

"Oh, no," Mrs. Parker answered. "Mrs. Barrington took the children to visit family this morning."

Surprised, Audra stared at her. "She left? With Lucy still missing?"

"Naturally, her first thought was to protect her own children," Mrs. Parker said. "I'll go get some coffee, shall I? Please, have a seat."

The housekeeper hurried away, leaving Audra and Victoria to exchange puzzled looks. "How odd," the Barkley matriarch said slowly. "Why would Mrs. Barrington think her children would be in danger when Lucy is the one who is missing?"

"Jarrod's right?" Audra asked in a hushed voice. "Kidnapping is something that's happened a lot here?"

"I'm beginning to think he may be right," her mother responded, keeping her voice just as low.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: I am using my love for Big Valley and Bonanza to write an original story for NaNoWriMo this year. Anyone else have a project they're working on this month? And my kitty continues to improve, though he is definitely going to lose most of his one ear.**_

* * *

As he moved about the small town, Jarrod finally spotted movement: women moving from house to house. Each group he saw was huddled together, their voices low and whenever they spotted him, they would immediately scattered as though they were afraid he would overhear something they didn't want him to hear.

The saloon was empty, save for the bartender. When Jarrod attempted to question him, the man firmly refused to answer and ordered the lawyer out of his establishment. The next stop was the general store.

"Can I help you, mister?" the woman behind the counter asked as he entered.

Removing his hat, Jarrod approached her. "My name is Jarrod Barkley, and I'm new in town."

She let out a light laugh and leaned against the counter. Her brown eyes sparkled with mischief. "Really? I never would have guessed," she said. "I'm Hattie Walker. What brings you to town, Mr. Barkley?"

"Family," Jarrod answered, deliberately being vague. "The town's quieter than I expected it to be. Where is everyone?"

Hattie's expression shifted to one of sadness. "Well, a little girl went missing yesterday, so everyone is out looking for her," she explained. She straightened up with a frown. "Funny thing is...they didn't go out until about noon. The father came running into town just before dawn, trying to get the men to form a search party. The sheriff was slow to organize the search party."

Her words corroborated everything Jarrod had deduced so far. "That is strange. Tell me, how long have you lived here?"

"My uncle the store to my husband and I about two years ago. Why do you ask?"

"So, you don't know if other children have gone missing in the last few years?"

Mrs. Walker frowned. "Well, like I said, I haven't been here long, but I do know one child went missing last year" she said slowly. "A little girl. She was—oh, I think she must have been no more than five years old. She was missing for three days."

"The girl was found though?"

The woman's face told him all he needed to know before she even spoke. "The poor thing had fallen in the creek and drowned."

Not the kind of news Jarrod wanted to hear. "Thank you for the information, Mrs. Walker."

As he turned, the woman said, "Now that you mention it, I do remember one of the ladies—Mrs. Barrington, actually—saying at the time that she'd hoped it wouldn't happen again; that she thought it was over. She wondered if the town had been cursed."

Pausing, Jarrod faced her again. "Again? So there were kidnappings before last year?"

"I'm assuming so, but I could never get anyone here in town to talk about it after that day." Mrs. Walker came around the counter. "Do you think it's connected?"

"I'm trying to figure that out," Jarrod said. He hesitated and then asked, "You wouldn't happen to know what the little girl looked like, do you?"

"Maggie Thomas? Of course. She was a beautiful girl. Big blue eyes and golden hair. Looked just like her mother." Mrs. Walker's eyes narrowed. "Is it important what she looked like?"

Jarrod shook his head. "I think it might be, but I'm still trying to put the pieces together. Do Maggie's parents still live in the area? I would like to talk to them if possible."

"Mrs. Thomas was a widow at the time, and when Maggie, her only child, was found dead, she left the town."

Yet another dead end, though he had gleaned quite a hit of information from the friendly woman. "I see. Thank you for your time, Mrs. Walker. You've been very helpful."  
"The family member you've come to help. It's the father of the little girl who's missing, isn't it?"

"You're very perceptive."

She raised her shoulders in a brief shrug. "When you work with people every day like I do, it's a skill you develop."

"I've worked with lawyers who didn't have as much sense as you do." The front door opened, and two young women entered. They sent anxious looks in Jarrod's direction and exchanged quick, inaudible whispers. "I'll leave before I drive all your business away. Again, thank you for your time, Mrs. Walker."

Mrs. Walker nodded and moved to approach the women. Striding out of the store, Jarrod put his hat back on. He took a moment to survey the town, wondering where he could find someone else willing to talk. Something was going on in the town and he needed to figure out what it was before it was too late.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jarrod saw the sheriff approach. "Asking questions is a sure way of being disliked in this town, Mr. Barkley," Benson commented. "Surely, you've realized that by now."

"In my experience, only people who have something to hide dislike questions," Jarrod pointed out as he faced the man. "So, that begs the question, what is this town hiding?"

"We're not hiding anything."

"May I ask why you're here in town and not helping the search party."

Sheriff Benson took a step back. "My job is to maintain the peace. Can't do that if I'm not in town."

Jarrod cast a meaningful look at the street, where hardly a wagon moved or a person walked. "I can see you must have your hands full, Sheriff. Well, I must be on my way. My niece is missing, you know."

"Odd, that," Sheriff Benson said before Jarrod could walk away. "That Liam Sawyer never mentioned having family of any kind, and here you show up. You don't even have the same name. Makes a lawman wonder when that kind of thing happens."

"And a lawyer begins to wonder when his client is locked up for no reason, a sheriff and town makes little to no effort to locate a missing child, and there seems to be a history of blonde haired children going missing," Jarrod responded, putting all the facts as succinctly as possible. The last he knew was more of a guess than actual fact.

The belligerent sheriff's face paled, though, and he took another step back. Jarrod studied the man, who seemed to have nothing else to say. "Well, thank you for your time, Sheriff. I'm sure our paths will cross again before this is all over."

"If you had any concern for your brother, you'd keep him from searching," the sheriff warned. "You've never seen a man driven by grief, but I have. You'll have your hands full once he learns the truth."

"You seem certain that Lucy isn't going to be found alive," Jarrod said, narrowing his gaze. "If that happens, Sheriff, I promise you that I will make sure you are held accountable for not doing all you could to get her back."

Leaving the sheriff to stare after him, the lawyer turned and made his way towards the hotel.

* * *

John Barrington's face held shock and panic when he met Liam, Heath, and Nick on the top of a ridge. "What is this?" he asked.

Nick's eyes narrowed as he stared at the man. "Barry, these are my brothers, Nick and Heath," Liam told him. The worried father cast his gaze over the area. "They've come to help find Lucy. Has there been any sign of the person who took her?"

"We haven't even seen a footstep," Barrington said, recovering himself. "It was a long shot, thinking she might have wandered this far, but we had to try." The subtle inference that Lucy had left of her own power was not lost on the three men. "I had no idea you were related to the Barkleys, _Sawyer."_

"You have a problem, Barrington?" Nick demanded, moving between Liam and Barrington.

Barrington' eyes flicked from one to the other. "We're losing daylight," he said, making no answer to Nick's question. "Why don't you three head to Watcher's Rock, Sawyer. Or Barkley. Whatever your name really is. You should have time to search it and get back before night falls."

Liam shook his head. "Watcher's Rock is miles away, and isn't near anything, not even water," he objected. "What purpose would anyone have to take Lucy there? It would be suicide."

"You of all people should know your daughter has an adventurous spirit. She loves to explore. Maybe she heard one of the men mention the Rock and thought she should be able to go see it."

"You keep implying Lucy wandered away on her own," Heath commented, staring at the man. "She's five years old. If she really did that, she wouldn't have gotten very far. In fact, I don't think she could make it _this_ far."

Barrington did a double take when he glanced at Heath but seemed to recover quickly. "What do you suggest we do then? We searched around the barns, house, and bunkhouses. Sawyer was there for that. There was no sign of her beyond that ragdoll of hers."

When Nick and Heath looked over, Liam gave a nod to confirm the man's words. "I have the men back tracking," Barrington continued. "Maybe we'll find something we missed. In any event, we can't stay out here any much longer. It feels like there's a storm brewing."

"If it rains, we'll lose any tracks," Liam said worriedly. "There won't be any way to track who took Lucy."

"No one took your brat, Sawyer!"

At Barrington's sharp outburst, Liam went still. It was Nick who reacted first. The dark haired rancher kicked his mount into motion and, before Barrington could react, Nick planted his fist into the man's jaw. Barrington tumbled to the ground as his horse side stepped. "Stay down and keep your mouth shut!" the volatile Barkley snapped.

"Nick, that wasn't necessary," Liam said, his voice tired.

"I would have done it if he hadn't," Heath told him, keeping his angry gaze on Barrington who was struggling to his feet.

"You're finished here, Sawyer," the man said sharply as he grabbed the reins of his horse. "You and your _family_ can take yourselves off my property. And I'll see that you never work in this area again, which is more than you deserve."

Confused by the man's words, Liam just stared at his former employer. "He doesn't need your job," Nick said, rising to the challenge. "He's had a place on Barkley land for the start, but he wanted to be loyal to you. You're not even worth it. You'll never do business with us in the future, I can te"

He moved as though he was going to dismount and confront Barrington again. "This isn't getting us any closer to Lucy, Nick," Liam said, reaching out to grab his older brother's arm. "Leave him. Lucy is all the matters right now."

Giving Barrington one last glare, Nick turned his horse. "Any tracks we could have followed are bound to have been trampled over by now," he pointed out. "And this idiot doesn't even believe your daughter was kidnapped."

"I said get off my land!" Barrington shouted, making his horse shy yet again.

Looking over his shoulder, Nick pointed his finger at the man. "You, shut up. We're not leaving until we have Lucy back."

Liam exchanged glances with Heath. "Remind me never to be on his bad side."

"I would think you would know that one already," Heath responded. He raised his voice. "Come on, Nick. Liam is right. This isn't helping us find Lucy."

"We will have free rein to be on your property until we have Lucy back," Nick told Barrington. "If you try to interfere or I find out you had anything to do with Lucy vanishing, then you're going to have the entire family of Barkleys to deal with."

Barrington's eyes widened. "The whole family?"

"You do remember Jarrod, don't you?" Nick smirked at the man, confident in his words. "A San Francisco lawyer, who has connections all over country, rubs elbows with politicians and powerful men. He's not an enemy _I_ would want to have. Would you?"

"Quite honestly, I would be more concerned about Mother and Audra," Heath remarked. He felt a sense of satisfaction that his words seemed to knock Barrington more off balance than Nick's. "They're both like mama bears when it comes to children in general. Since Lucy is kin, there's no telling just what they're going to do."


	6. Chapter 6

"So, did you ever look after Lucy, Mrs. Parker?" Audra asked as she picked up her cup of tea.

The woman nodded as she settled into the opposite chair. "Most days. What with her father working most of the time. She's such a dear little thing. When she ran off, I felt just horrible. I was supposed to be watching her and I hadn't even noticed she was gone."

Glancing over, Victoria continued her walk around the room. As she reached the fireplace, she reached up and picked up the small tintype portrait of what she assumed was the Barrington family. Six people were seated together: mother, father, three sons, and a young daughter. The family looked stiff and unhappy.

"Why do you think Lucy ran away?" Audra asked. "She's never done something like that before."

Mrs. Parker heaved a sigh. "Well, Miss Jenny has been coming around nearly everyday. Lucy never warmed up to her. In fact, when Lucy went missing, I called for her to come as Miss Jenny wanted to play with her. I didn't think anything of it when Lucy didn't come."

"Miss Jenny?" Victoria repeated, turning around. "I believe we met her when we first arrived. So she has an interest in Liam?"

With a laugh, Mrs. Parker shook her head. "I don't think I've seen a girl more set on catching a man."

"But Lucy didn't like her," Audra said slowly. She sent a questioning look at her mother, who had a deep, perplexed frown on her face.

"Not a bit." Mrs. Parker glanced at the kitchen. "Excuse me. I have to check on my bread."

She pushed herself out of her chair and hurried away. "Mother, this Jenny person wouldn't have...would she?" Audra asked in a hushed voice. "I mean—"

Setting the photograph down, Victoria then hurried to her daughter's side. "I don't know, Audra. I've known women who went to extremes to gain a man's attention. Kidnapping would be excessive and would hardly work in her favor once the child is rescued and could identify her," she responded. "No, that could not be it."

"No one expects Lucy to be found alive, though, so she _wouldn't_ be identified, would she?" Audra whispered.

"Would you like fresh bread?" Mrs. Parker asked as she re-entered the room.

"Yes, of course," Victoria said, giving her daughter a warning look. "I couldn't help but notice the family picture on the mantel. Does the entire family live in the area?"

The housekeeper sent an affectionate look in that direction. "Unfortunately no. Mr. John runs the ranch, and Mr. Steven lives in San Francisco."

"There are four children in the picture," Victoria pointed out. "What happened to the other two?"

Mrs. Parker walked to the mantel and picked up the photograph. "An accident," she said softly. "Young Tessa and George wandered away from their mother one day. Two days later, Tessa was found drowned in the creek. Tessa was the apple of her mother's eye. Such beautiful gold hair and a smile that would light up a room. Mrs. Barrington was never the same after that."

"How horrible!" Audra exclaimed softly. "But what happened to George? You said he was with his sister."

"We don't speak about George. He was deeply affected by what happened and I'm afraid he hasn't been the same since then."

The two Barkleys exchanged looks. "Then, we won't ask anymore," Victoria said graciously. "I _am_ interested in knowing how Liam has been these past few months."

Setting the photograph back where it belonged, Mrs. Parker turned. "Of course. He's such a good boy. Always considerate."

* * *

It was dark in the room, the sun having set and no lamp brought in to replace the natural light that had brightened the room. Lucy pushed on the window, desperate for fresh air. It had steadily grown stuffy in the room, and her dress was sticking uncomfortably to her skin.

After several long minutes of determined struggling, Lucy finally gave it up as useless. There was nothing at hand to break the glass, and she knew the sound would being the strange people back before she could do anything else. A sense of hopelessness flooded her and she sagged down.

"Papa, where are you?" she whispered. Her father had always come for her. The last time it had taken some time but Uncle Heath had found her. She hadn't known he was her family, but she'd made her feel safe, promising to do everything possible to find her pa for her.

But here? She was totally alone and so much time had passed.

Before her thoughts could go any further, the door creaked open and a sliver of light showed. The woman from before slipped in, and closed the door behind her, cutting off the light as quickly as it had appeared. "Amy," she called out. "Come here, my darling."

Warily, Lucy stayed where she was. The woman, however, must have seen her for she approached quickly. Kneeling down, blocking any way for Lucy to wiggle away, the woman pulled her into a hug.

"I know it is not fair for your papa to lock you away because he has had a bad day," the woman said, rocking slightly. "It will pass, darling, and everything will be as it should."

Some instinct prompted Lucy to hold her tongue. Inwardly, she prayed that her papa would come soon.

* * *

The saloon remained mostly empty. Sipping his beer, Jarrod kept one eye on the bartender, who was trying to hide the fact that he was watching Jarrod in return. A single woman moved around the room, trying to look enticing. She'd offered to be his 'friend' and had been offended when the lawyer refused.

A drunk was sleeping at a corner table, his hand curled protectively around his beer. Two other men, dressed in suits more fitting for a riverboat gambler. Their attitude was of boredom, and Jarrod assumed that they were used to more men being there for them to fleece.

There was a low rumble of thunder from outside, that made everyone glance towards the door. At the same time, a tall, dark haired man stepped through. "Talk about timing," he said with a laugh as he realized everyone was looking at him. "Pour me a beer, Gary."

"Sure thing, Mr. Barrington," the bartender said as the saloon girl rushed to greet the newcomer personally.

Leaning back, Jarrod watched as the man rebuffed the woman, chatted with the two gamblers and refused to join their game, and then, drink in hand, came towards where the lawyer was sitting. "Mind if I join you?" Barrington asked.

"Please do," Jarrod said, gesturing to the other chair. "I don't think we've met, though I've done business with your family's ranch time and again. I'm Jarrod Barkley."

"Ah, yes. I do recall my brother mentioning the name." The man sat down and offered his hand over the table. "Steven Barrington. I spend most of my time in San Francisco. What brings you to this part of the country?"

"Family."

Steven Barrington frowned. "Oh? What family?"

"One of my brothers has been working for your brother," Jarrod said, watching the man's reaction. "So, you've just arrived."

"Yes. Strange, it's not usually so quiet in here," Barrington said as he glanced around the saloon once again. "I wonder where everyone is."

"A little girl went missing."

Barrington shook his head. "Lord knows I never want to be responsible for troublesome brats. Here's hoping the child is found."

"I hear that several children have gone missing over the years," Jarrod said, watching the man's reaction carefully. There was something, an air of carelessness, that he didn't care for. "Particularly children who are blonde."

Bringing his attention back, Barrington offered a noncommittal sound. "That's children for you, no matter what they look like."

Sheriff Benson entered then, followed by a large group of men. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Mr. Barkley," Barrington said, standing up. "I think I see some men in need of a relaxing game of cards. Perhaps we'll see you again."

"Perhaps we will."

From the atmosphere the group brought with them, Jarrod guessed that Lucy hadn't been found. He knew it wouldn't be long before his family returned to the hotel but he didn't want to miss the opportunity to hear what those of the search party had to say.

"I can't believe this is happening again. Barrington needs to do something about it." A man from a nearby table said as the room filled with the usual sounds that one would expect in a saloon. "At least it was just a hand this time. We can't afford to keep losing families."

"Jake, shut it."

Glancing over, Jarrod met the accusing stares of some of the other men. He raised his glass in acknowledgement. The men only glared at him.


	7. Chapter 7

Jarrod was in the hotel suite when his family arrived. From their silence and the expressions on their faces, he deduced that there had been no success in finding Lucy on their end either. There was some other emotion on Liam's face, though, that puzzled him. "Did something happen?"

"Barrington fired me," his half brother told him, his tone clipped. "And said if we step foot on his property he'll have us arrested for

Surprised, Jarrod glanced at the others for confirmation. Nick gave a short nod. "On what grounds?" the lawyer asked. He could hear the rain pounding down outside.

"On the grounds that Barrington is an a—" Nick cut himself off, sending a guilty look towards his mother. He cleared his throat and continued, "A selfish person who can't seem to accept facts for what they are."

"So, Nick antagonized him and now you're paying the price," Jarrod translated, turning to Liam.

Predictably, Heath came to his brother's defense. "Nick didn't do anything I wasn't about to do myself. Barrington's insistence that Lucy took off on her own was getting on _my_ nerves. I think Mother's right. He might have had something to do with Lucy's disappearance."

"He wouldn't have done something like that," Liam said, his voice flat and emotionless. He sagged into a chair, looking years older than he really was. "I know Barry. He's been like an uncle to Lucy, always looking out for her."

"You heard what Mother learned!"

Glancing between them, Jarrod raised his eyebrow. "I take it you learned something of interest?"

"I merely found it interesting that the Barrington family lost a daughter with golden hair," Victoria responded, moving to sit down.

"Golden hair?" Jarrod repeated, raising his eyebrows. "That's...interesting."

"You all sound alike," Liam said, his tone sharp. Jarrod couldn't tell if it was simply from the stress or if his half brother, one he didn't know well at all, was truly annoyed with them. "What makes any of this situation _interesting_?"

"Blonde hair," Jarrod answered.

Audra frowned, curling a lock of her own hair around her finger. "I have blonde hair. Heath and Liam have blonde hair," she pointed out. "Even Gene's hair could almost be called blonde, it's such a light brown and the sun lightens it when he works out on the range."

"Lucy has blonde hair, and a little girl about her age who was kidnapped two years ago had blonde hair."

His family went still as the implication of Jarrod's statement hit them. "Are you telling me my daughter was taken because she's blonde?" Liam asked slowly.

"The facts seem to point to it."

"But who would do something like that?" Liam's shout was full of frustration and disbelief. "These people have been my neighbors and friends, Jarrod. I can't believe any of them would do this and not continue to look me in the eye."

Victoria cleared her throat. "But they haven't, Liam," she said, her tone gentle and sympathetic. "I think that is the point Jarrod is trying to make. From the moment this whole thing began, how many of your neighbors have helped you?"

Resting his elbows on his knees, Liam covered his face with his hands. His voice was muffled but they all heard him say, "None of them."

Nick moved forward. "So exactly how does this help us find Lucy?"

Visibly, Jarrod hesitated. "I'm not sure yet," he admitted. "But this shows there is a history of children who have gone missing. From what I can tell, the last was found drowned."

Audra sucked in her breath. "Mother!"

The men turned their attention to the two women, Liam dropping his hands to do so. "According to Mrs. Parker, Tessa Barrington drowned," Victoria said slowly.

"Are you telling me my daughter is going to be drowned if I don't find her?" Liam asked, surging to his feet. "I have to get back out there."

Heath grabbed his twin's arm. "Not in this weather, Liam! It would be suicide!" For a moment, the pair stared at each other, their eyes communicating volumes, and then Liam jerked free.

"We're all jumping to conclusions here," Jarrod said, his tone placating. "Now I agree it looks bad, but we're not out of time just yet. Mother, Audra, was there anything at all the Barrington housekeeper told you that could help us piece this thing together?"

Exchanging looks, the women frowned. "Well, Mrs. Parker did say that one of the Barrington sons was not right after his sister was discovered drowned," Audra said slowly. "She didn't say where he was, only that the family doesn't talk about him."

"That's a start."

"There is a small parcel of Barrington land," Liam said, his tone distant. "It was part of the area Barry was to search. He refuses to allow any of us to go there. From a distance, I've seen a house. I don't know if anyone lives there."

"What say you, Heath, and I ride out to this house as soon as it's dawn," Nick said, moving to clasp his brother's shoulder. "Rain or shine."

"While you continue searching, I believe I will drop by Sheriff Benson's office for another conversation," Jarrod said, glancing at the clock. "For now, I suggest we all try to get what rest we can."

While everyone else moved to go to their beds, Liam remained where he was. It was only when a hand landed on his shoulder that he looked up at Heath. "Sleep is impossible," the fair haired man said softly.

"Then, I'll keep you company," Heath answered.

* * *

Listening to the rain, Lucy refused to get in bed. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark room, and she had once again taken refuge in the corner. She'd been relieved when the woman had finally left her alone, but a sense of loneliness and desperation was returning.

"Papa, where are you?" she whispered. "I want to come home now."

The squeak of the door knob turning caught her attention. A man, carrying a small candle, entered the room, making sure to close the door behind him. Uneasy, Lucy held her breath as she stared at the unfamiliar man.

"Hi, Tessa," the man said, coming to her. He sat down and set the candle on the floor. "I came to keep you company. I know storms scare you."

First 'Amy' and now 'Tessa'. "My name is Lucy," the girl said firmly. "And I want to go home to my papa."

The man paused, his blue eyes pained. He sent a glance over his shoulder at the door. "Oh. Lucy. Not Tess. Not Aaron or Amy or Carl. Lucy." He fell silent and rocked back and forth. "Ok. I'll remember and I'll help you, Lucy."

Hope blossomed once again, though she was confused by what he'd said before that. "You will?"

He nodded emphatically. "My name is Georgie. Soon as the rain stops, I'll take you home. I promise."

Another rumble of thunder made Lucy jump, a squeak of fear escaping her lips before she could stop it. Georgie slid over until he was close to her but not touching. "Don't be scared. I'll get you home safe and sound soon enough."


	8. Chapter 8

With Heath and Nick, Liam set off at dawn, despite the light rain that continued to fall. At the same time, Jarrod walked towards the sheriff's office. Audra and Victoria stood on the hotel porch, each one watching in a different direction. There was no sign that the search party of the previous day was reforming.

"Mother, I can't get it out of my head," Audra said finally, turning to face Victoria. The young woman's expression held worry and fatigue. Like the rest of the family, the little sleep she'd gotten was "All those poor children, drowning in the same place."

Reaching over, Victoria squeezed her daughter's hand. "Yes, I know. I can't forget it either."

"What are we going to do?"

For a moment, Victoria frowned as she thought. "I know your brothers would disapprove, but we are going to ride out to this creek," she finally said. "It may be for nothing but it would be foolish not to at least check."

"It will be something," Audra said, her eyes brightening. "I'll go to the stable and hire their best horses. I won't let Jarrod see me."

"Oh, we're not going to keep this a secret," Victoria said, but her daughter was already running down the street. "That girl."

Trusting Audra to hire the horses, the Barkley matriarch crossed the street. Though it was early for the general store to be open, Victoria walked in that direction, remembering how Jarrod had said the woman who ran the store had been helpful. She had no intention of riding off without having a specific destination in mind.

To her delight, the woman was opening the shades. "Good morning, ma'am," Victoria said, to get her attention. "Are you Mrs. Walker?"

Turning, the storekeeper smiled. "Yes, I am. You must be that lawyer's mother, aren't you."

"I am," Victoria said with an answering smile. "I was hoping you would be able to send me in the right direction. My daughter and I want to ride to the creek where all those poor children have died."

Mrs. Walker's expression became grave. "You think the little girl who went missing might be found there."

"What I'm hoping is that if we are there it won't happen."

"Your son was right that it's all connected?"

"We have no other lead," Victoria said, guilt nudging her conscience at not being completely honest with the woman. "Please tell me. I think of Lucy as my granddaughter. She's the only one I have."

Reaching out, Mrs. Walker took Victoria's hand into her own, her eyes shining with compassion. "Yes, of course. It's not difficult to find."

* * *

It was difficult for Lucy to keep up with Georgie's long strides. He had snuck her out of the window as soon as daylight had dawned. The long grass was still wet from the downpour overnight and the hem of Lucy's dress was drenched within a few steps.

"Come on," Georgie urged, looking over his shoulder as though he was watching for something. "We have to get across the stream."

"Is someone following us?" Lucy asked.

"He might be. Come on Lucy."

* * *

"What are you expecting to find out here?" Heath asked as he kept pace with his twin brother. They had long since crossed the creek, which had been swollen from the overnight storm. All three of the horses had struggled to get up the muddy banks.

Grateful to be on solid ground, Liam glanced over his shoulder and shook his head. "I don't honestly know, Heath," he said as Nick came up on his left. "I want to find my daughter alive and well but to find her somewhere she could have been found earlier. I don't know what I'll do."

"I know what I'd do," Nick said with certainty. "The Barringtons will regret lying to us all."

"We'll set Jarrod on them," Heath said with a grin. He'd experienced his brother's skill in the courtroom firsthand.

"Not before I get some kind of satisfaction."

Despite the situation, Liam couldn't keep from smiling. "She's _my_ daughter, Nick. Shouldn't I be the one threatening to get satisfaction?"

"No one messes with this family and gets away with it without some kind of consequences," Nick said grimly. The dark haired man narrowed his eyes as he spotted the ramshackle house they were riding towards. "Is that the place?"

Liam gave a short nod, not trusting his voice. A thin trail of smoke was rising from the house's chimney, evidence that there was _someone_ there. Slowing their mounts, the trio passed a fence that was half falling down.

A fair haired woman came out onto the small porch as they reined to a stop. "Can I help you gentlemen?" she asked, her tone accusatory and filled with suspicion.

"Ma'am, I'm Liam...Barkley, and these are my brothers. We're looking for my daughter," Liam said, getting straight to the point. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Nick sizing up the place and assumed Heath was doing the same on his other side. "She's five years old, has blonde hair, and blue eyes. Have you seen her?"

"Oh, she must look exactly like my Amy," the woman exclaimed. She clasped her hands together. "How horrible it must be to lose a child. I'm afraid I cannot help you, sir. You are the first person I've seen in weeks."  
Studying her, Liam tried to recall if he'd ever seen her in town since he'd come to the area. "Is there anyone else here?" he asked, giving himself time to think. She didn't look familiar but he couldn't be sure.

Immediately, the woman's eyes narrowed. "Why do you want to know? I just told you I can't help you."

Her words filled Liam with suspicion. "This is Barrington land, is it not?" he asked.

The woman's eyes narrowed. "What business of yours whether it is or not? I cannot help you and must ask you to leave."

Giving a huff, Nick swung down off his horse. "We're wasting time," he said as he tied the reins to the railing. He strode up the steps as the woman backed up in alarm. "We're not leaving until we've searched the place."

"How dare you!"

"Heath, check the shed over there," Nick ordered, ignoring the woman. "Liam, let's get this over with."

The twin brothers exchanged quick looks before they too dismounted. Heath headed for the shed, which was leaning dangerously about fifty yards from the house. Liam climbed the porch steps as Nick opened the front door.

"Stay out of my house!" the woman screeched. "You'll frighten my daughter! I'll tell my husband about this and you will regret it!"

"We'll do our best not to," Nick told her as he pushed the door open. "Why don't you find your husband for us? I think I'd like to have a few words with him."

She followed the men into the house. The condition of the inside was no better than the outside had been: worn and deteriorated. The floors creaked under their steps as they walked across the kitchen floor.

"Amy!" the woman exclaimed, rushing to a closed door. "Darling, there are strange men. Please don't be afraid."

"Lucy?" Liam called out, hoping he'd hear his daughter's voice in answer. He went to the door, only to find it locked. "Ma'am, unlock this door."

Raising her chin, the woman gave a laugh. "No. You come in here and expect me to cooperate with you?"

Frustrated, Nick strode over and moved her out of the way. Together, he and Liam put their shoulders against the door and they threw their weight against the wood. After two hits, the door gave way, revealing the small room within.

A little girl's dress was laid out on the small bed in the middle of the room and a rag doll rested against the pillow. Across from them, the window was open, the worn curtains moving slightly in the breeze. The woman pushed past them. "Amy, don't be fright—" she broke off, puzzled. "Amy? Where did she go?"

Spinning around, she rushed back the way she'd come. "Georgie? Georgie! Where are you?"

"Who is Georgie?" Nick demanded immediately.

Liam, though, was frozen in place. "George Barrington?" he asked, his voice soft as though he wasn't expecting an answer.

"Of course George Barrington," the woman said dismissively. She pushed open a door that had been slightly ajar. "Georgie? Oh, where has that stupid man gone now? He knows he's not supposed to go to the stream."

A feeling of horror ran through Liam's veins. "Nick, we have to go back to the stream."

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Nick said, his tone grim. Leaving the woman, who had rushed back to the room with the little girl's dress had been, the dark haired rancher led the way out of the house, running into Heath on the front porch.

"Someone left on a horse not too long ago," Heath reported, his eyes glancing between his brothers.

"We came close, but we've got to ride."


	9. Chapter 9

The expression on Sheriff Benson's face when he opened the door in answer to Jarod's knock was one of resignation. "You again," he said with a sigh. "Son, I haven't even had my morning coffee yet."

"Then, I will join you for a cup," Jarrod said, keeping his tone amiable. He entered the building and went straight to the chair that was across from the sheriff's desk. "Sheriff, I have only been in this town for one day, but it's long enough to know all is not as it should be."

"Mr. Barkley, if you're going to come in here and cause trouble—"

"A little girl's life is at stake, Sheriff," Jarrod interrupted, his voice hardening. "And, from what I've learned, there have been several children, all with golden hair and blue eyes, who have been murdered in this town in the past several years. I think you know more about this than you've let on and I don't have to remind you that you could be held accountable as an accessory to these crimes."

Looking weary, Sheriff Benson took a seat. "Mr. Barkley, I assure you, I have been doing the best I can under the circumstances," he said. "I don't think you realize just how hard it is to be unable to find a lead, and know that because of your failure to find them, another child will die."

It was the first sign of emotion the sheriff had given. "I understand that, but why try to convince me that Liam's daughter had run off?" Jarrod asked. "Just some way to absolve yourself of guilt?"

"What do you want from me, Mr. Barkley?"

"I want you to help me find my niece before I have a grieving brother to comfort," Jarrod said bluntly. "From what I've learned, this started when one of the Barrington children, a girl by the name of Tessa, was found drowned in the stream."

"What about it?"

"I've also learned that one of the other Barrington children, one the family doesn't talk about."

Sheriff Benson shook his head. "Two," he corrected. "There were three children who didn't come back when they were supposed to that day, Steven, George and Tessa. But you're right, poor George was never the same after the fact and the family tries to keep from mentioning him."

Surprised, Jarrod frowned as he considered that small bit of information. "How much do you know about Steven Barrington?"

* * *

Though Audra lamented the poor quality of their mounts, Victoria and her only daughter managed to make good time in getting to the creek. The water was rushing swiftly, debris bobbing on top of the murky brown water. Glancing in both directions, Victoria chose to ride in the direction she knew the Double Square was.

"Mother, if anyone were to fall into the water..." Audra's voice trailed away as she watched the water. Her face was as troubled as her voice. "I mean, if someone, a body, were to be found in it..."

"Everyone would believe it was an accident," Victoria said softly. It wasn't difficult to follow her daughter's train of thought as it was one she'd been considering herself.

Audra kicked her mount into action and rode ahead. "Lucy!" she shouted as she kept her eyes on the banks. "Lucy! It's your aunt Audra. If you can hear me, please answer. Lucy!"

Much to Victoria's surprise, there was an answer. "Aunt Audra! Aunt Audra!" It was distant but there could be no doubt it was Lucy Sawyer. "Aunt Audra, I'm coming! Wait for me! Don't leave me behind!"

"Lucy!" Victoria exclaimed, reining her mount in. She searched the opposite side of the stream for any sign of Liam's daughter. "Lucy, where are you?"

A moment passed and then, Victoria saw a blonde head come around the bend in the stream, dodging a tree as she did so. "I'm here, Grandmother!" the girl cried with delight. She slipped on the mud as she moved. "I'm coming! I'm coming! He wants to hurt me!"

Victoria's heart lept to her throat as she realized what the girl intended. "Lucy, no! Stay out of the water!" With current moving so swiftly and with all manner of wood bobbing along, there was no chance the small girl would make it across.

At the same time, Audra let out a shriek. "Run, Lucy, run!" With a jerk of the reins, the young woman directed her horse towards the stream and plunged in.

It took a mere second for Victoria to see what had alarmed her daughter so much: a man, golden haired, tall, and curiously covered in mud following after Lucy. "Oh, no," she breathed, wishing desperately that one of her sons were there to take charge. "Audra!"

At the edge of the water, Lucy hesitated and she looked over her shoulder. "Lucy, I'm coming!" Audra called out, trying to urge her mount to swim faster. "Leave her alone!"

"Tessa, save her!" the man called out almost desperately.

A gunshot rang out as Audra reached the opposite side. The man crumpled to the ground. Gasping, Victoria brought her hand up to her mouth. Sliding to the ground, Audra gathered Lucy into her arms. "I've got you, darling," she said. "You're safe now. I'm going to get you back to your papa soon."

"Georgie," Lucy whispered. "He's hurt."

"Tessa, run." The man's weak voice reached Audra's ears. Recognizing the name if the Barrington girl who had died, Audra looked over her niece's head. "He'll kill you again. Save her. Please. Help me save her."

"Lucy. Come back, Lucy." An unfamiliar voice ran out, sending fear through both women.

"He's coming," Audra whispered, her voice trembling. She clutched Audra tighter. "I want to go home. I want my daddy."

"Audra, come back!" Victoria called over.

"I'm going to put you in the saddle, alright, Lucy? Hold on as tight as you can," Audra said to the blonde haired girl. Once Lucy gave a nod, the young woman lifted her niece up and settled her in the saddle.

"Aunt Audra, he's coming!" Lucy cried out, terror in her young voice.

Acting an impulse, Audra slapped the rump of her horse, sending it rushing back into the water. She turned to face the danger she had just saved Lucy from and raised her chin. It wasn't hard to see the resemblance the well dressed man had with the man on the ground, and she could also see the resemblance to a young boy in the photograph at the Barrington ranch.

"Audra!" Victoria shouted from across the stream, no doubt seeing the gun in the man's hand.

"You're not going to hurt another child," Audra said, keeping her eyes on Steven Barrington.

To her surprise, the man's face went pale. "Tessa? No, it can't be. You're dead." He raised the gun, though his hand was shaking badly. "You're dead!"

Her mind working quickly, Audra began to put the pieces together. "How many children have you killed in this spot?" she demanded. "And it all started with Georgie and Tessa, didn't it? It wasn't an accident at all. You've been terrorizing families. Why? Why would you do that?"

"It was an accident!" Steven insisted, his hand shaking even more. "You and Georgie slipped on the rocks. I got him out but couldn't reach you."

"Audra," Victoria called out a warning but Audra kept her eyes on the clearly insane man in front of her.

"No, you pushed her," Audra accused. "What? Was your sister too annoying and you just wanted to make her stop? Did you really try to reach her or did you hesitate and let her drown? Did you like the feeling of power?"

"Shut up!" Steven Barrington shouted, his hand tightening on the gun.

Audra tensed, knowing she had pushed to hard. She flinched back as gun fired. To her amazement, Steven Barrington dropped his gun and reached to his chest where a red stain blossomed. He went down on his knees and then fell forward.

With a gasp, the woman turned to discover that Jarrod and the sheriff were on the other side of the stream. To her left, she heard a familiar voice shout, "Lucy? What's happened?"

"She's alright, Liam," Audra managed to call out. "Mother has her."

Within moments, Nick and Heath were by her, demanding an explanation. Liam charged past them, sending a high spray of water as he entered the stream. He was across in no time and had Lucy in his arms. "Papa!" the girl exclaimed, happily.

* * *

"Do you think Barry knew?"

At Liam's question, Jarrod shook his head. "He may have suspected that it was his brother Georgie, which is why he kept him away from other people and had a nurse to keep him calm," he answered. He kept his voice low to keep from waking Lucy, who was fast asleep on her father's lap. "I doubt he would have let Steven continue if he'd known."

"It's a good thing I have blonde hair," Audra said with a light laugh. "Otherwise he never would have mistaken me for his dead sister. He must have felt some kind of guilt about what he was doing."

"I'm just glad it's all over and no family here have to worry again," Victoria said, squeezing her oldest son's arm as she passed him.

"Barrington should apologize," Nick said as he poured a drink.

"He won't," Heath responded. "His pride won't let him." He glanced at his twin. "What are you going to do now?"

Liam breathed out. "I hadn't really thought about it."

"It's simple," Nick told him. "You're going to come back to Stockton, to the ranch, where you belong."

"Nick!" The rest of his family all chided at the same time.

"What?" the dark haired man asked defensively. "What other option does he have? I'm not hounding him."

Jarrod shook his head. "Liam, ignore Nick. You can do whatever you want, and go wherever you feel would be best for you and Lucy," the oldest Barkley child said. "It doesn't matter what the rest of us think on the matter."

Breathing out, Liam hesitated. "Yeah. It does matter. I know I can't keep dragging Lucy all over the states in an effort to hide from my past," he said seriously. "So...if you'll have me, I'd like to go to Stockton with you."

"'If we'll have you?'" Nick repeated. "What kind of question is that? Of course we'll have you! Haven't I been trying to talk you into it for months now? It's your home, where you belong."

As he looked around the room at the smiling faces, at the family that had come to his aid when he'd desperately needed them, Liam nodded and he couldn't help but wonder if it had been like this for Heath. In the end, he decided it really didn't matter. "A home sounds like it's exactly what I need."


End file.
